a. [ad. L. accūrāt-us performed with care, exact, pa. pple. of accūrā-re to apply care to; f. ac- = ad- to + cūrā-re to care for; f. cūra care.] In Latin only said of things, but in Eng. extended in sense 2 to persons.
† 1. Executed with care; careful. Obs. in the general sense.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., II. ii. IV. (1676), 176/1. Those acurat diaries of Portugals, Hollanders, etc.
1650. Venner, Via Recta, 224. An Accurate Diet is that when a man taketh his meats in a certaine measure, order, and number.
1675. Art of Contentm., ix. § 11. 228. Finally his [Christ’s] life expiring amidst the full sense of these accurate torments.
1738. Lond. & Country Brewer, III. (1743), 242. Such Drink always remains so, notwithstanding their most accurate Attempts to the contrary.
2. Of things and persons: Exact, precise, correct, as the result of care.
1612. Brinsley, Lud. Liter., xx. 242 (1627). They might come in time to be as accurate in writing Greeke for the stile and composition, as in Latine.
1684–5. Boyle, Hist. Min. Waters, 68. The accuratest way, I know, is by comparing the differing weights that the same sinking Body has in common Water, and in the Liquor propos’d.
1794. Sullivan, View of Nat., I. 89. [He] discovers a very accurate knowledge of mineralogy.
1824. Dibdin, Libr. Comp., 110. Executed by one of the most accurate and learned printers of the age.
3. Of things, without special reference to the evidence of care: Exact, precise, correct, nice; in exact conformity to a standard or to truth.
1651. Hobbes, Gov. & Soc., xvii. § 12. 308. The accurate and proper signification (i. e.) the definition of those names.
1660. H. More, Myst. Godl., VII. xvii. 359. By how much accurater their Predictions are, by so much the more cause of suspicion.
1756. Burke, Introd. Subl. & B., Wks. I. 97. The term taste, like all other figurative terms, is not extremely accurate.
1850. Lynch, Theoph. Trinal, i. 17. Accurate thought on definite subjects can alone give freedom and variety to general meditations.
Mod. I am afraid that the solution of the problem is not quite accurate.
